The present invention generally relates to scrap film, including plastic and paper, and more particularly relates to an economical apparatus and method for recycling scrap film.
In conventional processes for producing thin, continuous sheets of film, the edges of the sheets are cut off by a film slitter in order to form rolls of product having a constant width. The edge trim is often recycled and used to produce new sheets of film.
Reprocessing of film scrap can take place on the site of film production or at a remote location. For economic reasons, scrap film recycling most commonly takes place at the location of film production. In on-site recycle processing, the edge trim that is slit from the sheets of film product is immediately conveyed to a cutter which chops the trim into small pieces in preparation for further processing.
A conventional apparatus for conveying the scrap film to and from the cutter includes one fan upstream from the cutter for blowing the film into the cutter, and another fan downstream from the cutter for removing the cut particles. Furthermore, a cyclone is located upstream from the cutter between the fan and the cutter. Thus, in order for the strips of trim to be fed into and the cut particles drawn out of the cutter, the conventional system must include the costs for the acquisition, maintenance, and energy usage of two fans and a cyclone.